GREEN BAY — The NFL is moving toward expanding the playoff field from 12 teams to 14, and it could happen as soon as the 2015 season, according to a report from Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

According to Maske's report, the measure could even be voted on at next month's annual NFL Meetings in Orlando.

"I think there's a lot of momentum for it," a source told Maske. "I don't know for sure if the votes are there yet [among the owners] or not. But there is momentum. A lot of people seem in favor of it."

The NFL's competition committee has been studying the idea of adding one playoff team in each conference, increasing the total number of postseason teams to 14. Seven teams would make the playoffs in each conference, and the team with the best record in the AFC and NFC would receive a first-round bye while the other six teams in each conference would face off in the opening round. As it stands now with only 12 teams, the top two seeds in each conference get a bye to the divisional round.

Expanding the playoff field would increase its television revenues and also could allow for a playoff game to be played on Monday Night Football in the opening round. According to Maske, the league currently seems to favor having two Saturday games, three Sunday games and one Monday night game on the opening weekend of the postseason.

The expansion of the playoffs would need to be ratified by 24 of the 32 owners to go into effect. The competition committee could present the measure to owners next month and teams would then vote on it.

no byes works for me. Having teams that are .500 or less doesn't. Monday nite would be an atrocious idea.

I didn't warm up to this until I thought more about it. Adding one more team to the playoffs could be interesting. I do think having nearly 50% of the teams in the playoffs is quite saturated.

I actually like MLB's setup because it puts more emphasis on the regular season than both NBA and NFL.

I think they will eliminate two preseason games and add two playoff teams to the post season. I dunno. I'm more passionate that they do not eliminate the extra point or kickoffs than adding one team per conference to the playoffs.

"I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." - Nikola Tesla

no byes works for me. Having teams that are .500 or less doesn't. Monday nite would be an atrocious idea.

Obviously they want it for more money but I think they will try to spin it that it will prevent a team with a better record that doesn't win its division from being left out in favor of a another team with a worse record that wins its division.

Since 2002 when the NFL switched to the 4 division per conference format here is a breakdown of the team(s) with the best records that did not make the playoffs (Where two teams are listed it is because I did not know the tiebreaker) vs the division winner with the worst record

format is

YEARAFC BEST NON PO TEAM RECORD (WORST DIV WINNER)NFC BEST NON PO TEAM RECORD (WORST DIV WINNER)

6 times the last playoff spot would have gone to an 8-8 team including 1 conference each the last 3 years

In no year would both extra teams been 8-8

11 times the last playoff spot would have gone to a team with a 9-7 record.

2 years the extra teams would have both been 9-7

2 years the two extra team would have been 8-8 or 9-7

7 times the extra spot would have gone to a team with at least 10 wins

In no year would both extra playoff spots gone to a team with at least 10 wins.

Regarding teams who made it vs those who didn't

4 times would the extra team have had a better record than at least 1 of the division winners.

6 times would the extra team have had the same record than at least 1 of the division winners.

14 times would the extra team have had a worse record than at least 1 of the division winners.

The way I see it, despite the fact that people seem to think better teams are kept out by worse teams all the time because of the automatic bid by division winners it is not that common of an occurrence.

The four times it happened were in 2013 when the 10-6 Cardinals missed out to the 8-7-1 Packers. 2011 when the 9-7 Titans missed out to the 8-8 Broncos. 2010 when the 10-6 Giants or Buccaneers missed out to the 7-9 Seahawks. 2008 when the 11-5 Patriots missed out to the 8-8 Chargers.

Three out of those 4 years had a pretty big discrepancy in W-L records but I would ask was the Rodgers led Packers really that much worse than the Cardinals? That leave 2 time perhaps the a much better team was kept out by a much inferior team.

It clear to me that the NFL doesn't really care if a better team is left out of the playoffs because its doesn't happen all that often. They only reason they want this is for more money. More games means more money.

Personally I don't think it is broke so it does not need fixing.

Every team has fans that fans of other teams point to and say "all their fans are assholes" Don't be one of those fans.

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